Welcome to our series of interviews dedicated to the perspectives of OCTÉ Lift professionals. Today, we are pleased to present the interview with our account manager, Antoine Loquet, who shares his experience in the elevator sector and his role within OCTÉ Lift.

My name is Antoine Loquet, and I’ve worked in the elevator industry for about twenty years. I joined OCTÉ in 2008 after completing an internship at Otis.

I started as an account manager in the Paris region, managing a substantial client portfolio, including well-known players in the market and independent elevator companies.

At the end of 2010, I changed my geographical area: I initially covered the southeast quarter of France, then temporarily the southwest quarter, before contributing to the development of the northeast quarter. This mobility allowed me to adapt to the company’s needs and support a variety of projects, such as monitoring surveys for a client in Sweden.

Today, my territory covers the Mediterranean coast, from Perpignan to Monaco and as far as Valence, as well as part of the northeast quarter.

I am an account manager, a role that combines sales efforts with elevator companies and on-site technical support. My responsibilities range from preparing quotes and managing orders to regular follow-up with my clients. Thanks to my experience and knowledge of construction sites, I can quickly guide them toward the right technical solutions, in collaboration with my colleagues. I am also the technical expert for the sales team and I personally conduct my own site surveys.

One of my most significant initiatives was with the BLOCKMOD range, starting with projects in the Nice region. The project was so successful that it was expanded to other regions, notably with an Orona unit in Strasbourg. What I particularly appreciate about my job is the freedom to take initiative: at OCTÉ, it is valued, and even mistakes are always seen as learning opportunities.

At OCTÉ Lift, there’s an excellent atmosphere within the sales team: we share the same mindset, and even though we only meet in person three or four times a year, we communicate very regularly. Teamwork is central to our success, especially with other departments. I collaborate extensively with Créatec Applied Engineering Office, which handles information quickly and efficiently. I also work closely with Aurélie Kocher, our Operations Manager, on managing supply lead times: her experience and knowledge of our partners allow us to anticipate issues and provide real peace of mind within our organization. My advice to someone new to OCTÉ would be to not hesitate to take initiative, as it’s always well-received and often yields results.

In my opinion, the elevator sector will always remain a promising one. There will always be elevators that need modernizing, whether because they are old or because past upgrades weren’t followed by proper maintenance. Today, elevator companies often manage a large fleet – sometimes more than 150 to 180 elevators per technician – which makes regular maintenance more complex.

Twenty years ago, with the Robien law, demand exceeded supply, prices were high, and some work was rushed. Even today, we still find elevators from that period that need upgrading.

Faced with this reality, OCTÉ Lift has distinguished itself by offering reliable, high-quality products. Historically recognized for its mechanical expertise, the company is now also distinguished for its electrical expertise, demonstrating its ability to adapt to market needs.

Looking ahead, I think that pure maintenance will tend to decrease in favor of modernization. The maintenance technician remains the first ambassador to the customer, and at OCTÉ Lift, we always favour the renovation of an elevator rather than its complete replacement, because this is more ecological, more virtuous.

The message I would like to convey is that OCTÉ Lift remains, above all, a family business that has grown over the years, notably through acquisitions. This growth has been accompanied by a commitment to complete control of the value chain, with very little subcontracting. Today, we manufacture the electrical components ourselves through OCTÉ Electric and the mechanical components through OCTÉ Industry. This integration allows us to guarantee the quality of our products. We also work with trusted, long-standing partners such as Sassi, Henning, and Ziehl-Abegg. Being both an independent, family-owned company while offering high-quality service is one of our greatest strengths.